Birds Of Nazca - Pangaea (Album Review)

Release Date: October 03rd 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats:CD/DD/Vinyl

Pangaea - Tracklisting

1.Batagaïka

2.Gang Rinpoché 

3.Racetrack Playa 

4.Man Pupu Nyor

5.Incahuasi

6.Riftus...

7....Pangaea

Members

Guillaume - Guitar

Romuald - Drum

Review

Pangaea is the second full length album from Psych/Doom/Stoner Rockers Birds Of Nazca who are a highly talented duo specialising in all things HEAVY with a moody sideline in Post-Rock and Post-Metal heaviness. There’s a spirited Cosmic Sludge Rock sound always bursting out the seams which allows Birds Of Nazca to become a much heavier duo that you initially realize. Imagine if Mars Red Sky, Pelican, Weedpecker and Russian Circles joined creative forces then this is the end result. 

The band are purely an instrumental band but still manage to project an intriguing story within their music which is told through powerful Psychedelic landscapes and Ambient Post-Rock soundscapes which superbly comes to life on the splendid opening tracks of Batagaïka, Gang Rinpoché and Racetrack Playa setting the scene for fans of desolate Desert Rock/Metal grooves. The music can be quite progressive and choppy in places but that’s part of the charm with the band creating a destructive and minimalist Space Rock theme throughout the album.

There’s a classic sense of nineties Desert/Stoner Rock melody hidden behind the more forceful and aggressive movements where you can even hear traces of KYUSS, OOTSA and YAWNING MAN within the later stages of the record. Birds Of Nazca are quite adventurous by exploring impactful melodies and joining them with a thoughtful Post-Rock attitude on tracks such as Man Pupu Nyor, Incahuasi and the beautifully explosive final track of ….Pangaea.

Pangaea is a record that dares to show it’s LIGHT vs DARK side throughout which makes it quite a highly bold, stylish and supremely melodic record. My favourite aspect of the album is where Birds Of Nazca strip back from their Desert/Stoner Rock surroundings and dive head right into the Sludge/Post-Metal aspects of their music. As everything becomes more real and quite grounded even with the COSMIC flow takes centre stage. 

The instrumental passages are played brilliantly by Guillaume (Guitar) and Romuald (Drum) that sees them have a “WORLD BUILDING” and “PLANET DESTROYING” energy to their music which is perhaps the most breathtaking part of Pangaea that I will ultimately take away from the listening to the record.

Pangaea is everything you want from a first rate Instrumental Doom/Stoner Metal record and one that ranks alongside albums by the likes of PELICAN, MODDER and SPACE WITCH as being one of the best and most definitive Instrumental Rock/Metal albums of the year.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Birds Of Nazca and NRV Promotion for the promo.

Pangaea is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

Nordic Doom Ascends: SKOGSKULT Unveil Occult-Drenched Video and Album on BONEBAG RECORDS

Skinwalkers, rituals, and mysterious gatherings... the Umeå-based quartet’s riff-filled debut arrives this December on Bonebag Records

Skogskult’s self-titled debut will be released on 5th December 2025

Taking cues from classic doom bands like Sleep, Acid King, and Electric Wizard, as well as contemporary acts like Monolord and Telekinetic Yeti, Bonebag Records is thrilled to announce the debut album from rising stars, Skogskult.

Formed in 2022 in Umeå and featuring members of underground bands Från Mars, Scitalis, and Never Recover, the Swedish doom quartet mark their path toward the album with new single 'Turs'. Produced by Cavern Deep and Bonebag Record’s own Max Malmer, ‘Turs’ is the second of three singles – following ‘Pakten’ earlier this year – that delves deep into Nordic mythology and arcane mystery. The track tells the story of beings rising from their slumber, bringing destruction as forests fall and mountains bleed. With Swedish lyrics and heavy, fuzz-driven guitars, ‘Turs’ continues to build the atmosphere that defines Skogskult’s sound.

Drawing on imagery of Skinwalkers, Norse burial rituals, and occult gatherings, Skogskult channel the dark traditions of doom and stoner rock into a fuzz-filled vision of darker days to come.

“I had the fortune of catching one of their first shows and signed them on the spot,” explains Malmer. “It was so great to see that there were young, local musicians getting into the stoner doom genre. Since discovering them we've produced an entire album together. Hopefully this new single will give everyone a sense of what they’re all about.”

Skogskult’s self-titled debut will be released on 5th December 2025 via Bonebag Records. Watch the video for ‘Turs’ below:

Skogskult:

Samuel Nordström – Guitar
Albin Kroon – Bass
Simon Rosengrim – Vocals
Alexander Söderlund – Drums

Track List:

1. Lyktans Låga
2. Turs [Listen]
3. Jag Ger Mig Av
4. Pakten [Listen]
5. Sol
6. Snöblind

Artist: Skogskult
Release: Skogskult
Record Label: Bonebag Records
Release Date: 05/12/2025

Format: CD/Digital/LP

Links

Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram

Thanks to Sheltered Life PR for the details.

M.E.L.T. - Innervate / Obliterate (Album Review)

Release Date: October 03rd 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats:CD/DD/Vinyl

Innervate / Obliterate - Tracklisting

1.Innervate / Obliterate

2.Ride 

3.Chemical Warrior

4.Cut It Up

5.Tranquilized 

6.2000 Years

7.Empire of the Swine

8.The Spire

9.Krakatoa

10.Mass Grave 

11.Gnomeskull

Members

Joey Troupe - Guitar/Vocals

James May - Bass Guitar/Vocals

J.J. Young - Drums/Vocals/Percussion/Theremin

Review

Proto-Metal/Stoner Metal outcasts M.E.L.T. return with their latest album Innervate / Obliterate and it’s even weirder than their acclaimed 2023 album Replica Of Man which completely blew my mind with its epic shifts into different COSMIC arenas. M.E.L.T. continues with that style but offers a weirder, heavier and experimental mix of Fuzz Rock, Prog Rock, Proto-Metal, Doom Metal and Stoner Rock based freakouts. The band channels the likes of Black Sabbath, Monster Magnet, FU MANCHU, Ty Segall and even PRIMUS on this record alone.

The album has a similar fast and loose narrative as Replica Of Man with the band moving into multiple different areas of creative storytelling with aggressive amounts of vibrant energy appearing with the classic Proto-Metal sounds. M.E.L.T. have a moody swagger moving through the golden era of HEAVY RAWK ‘N’ ROLL starting from the Sixties right up to the modern day scene. The record is fully at its best when they hit upon the musical stride and legendary sounds of Seventies Heavy Metal and the Nineties breakout Stoner Metal scene. 

M.E.L.T. could have easily lost themselves with the multiple different sounds and outrageous melodies which becomes only stronger, braver and beautifully twisted throughout. The record perhaps leans into classic LED ZEPP, MONSTER MAGNET and FU MANCHU territory on the second half of the record but this is one great album that has eleven killer tracks offering different styles of music to impress listeners with.

Sure, it can be all over the place and way over the top but it’s M.E.L.T.’s dedication to the FUZZ ROCK cause that allows the sublime musical passages offer a gateway into another DOOMEDELIC DIMENSION where the freakouts become heavier, aggressive and brilliantly soulful. 

The vocals from all three members all offer a different contrast to each other and you begin to realise that Joey, James and JJ are all trying to OUT DO each other whenever the opportunity arises. The majority of the vocals are part of the OLD SCHOOL of Rock Music with elements of Garage Rock and Proto-Doom being the main definitive of choice from M.E.L.T. 

Standout tracks on the album for me are: Innervate / Obliterate, Ride, Chemical Warrior, Tranquilized, Mass Grave and Gnomeskull. The vibrant and twisted amounts of Space Rock energy allows a sordid and twisted Sludge Rock atmosphere to appear with the destructive Psychedelic melodies becoming heavily distorted at the same time. 

Innervate / Obliterate is a delirious, dangerous and hypnotic slice of Psychedelic Stoner Rock which sees M.E.L.T. once again releasing another outstanding record to add to their impressive back catalogue.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Nate Cross Media for the promo.

Innervate / Obliterate Pangaea is available to buy now on DD/Vinyl.

Links

Website: https://www.meltyourself.com
Facebook: https://facebook.com/abandcalledmelt
X: https://twitter.com/abandcalledmelt
IG: https://www.instagram.com/meltyourself/
Bandcamp: https://abandcalledmelt.bandcamp.com/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6gzPFf6sEdQT9BQzsjHUVY?si=8Jc_8fMrTL6Ov75NEZkiVA

Doom/Drone/Post-Metallers P+A+G+E+S Unveil Debut Single & Video “Shine On” from Forthcoming album “No More Can Be Done”

Cape Town’s doom, atmospheric noise, drone, and sludge post-metal trio P+A+G+E+S emerge from the shadows with the release of their debut single and video Shine On, the first glimpse into their highly anticipated debut album No More Can Be Done (out 25th October), recorded with producer Simon Ratcliffe at Sound and Motion Studios in February 2025.

Carved from the same crushing bedrock as the album, “Shine On” strikes with a different force—driving and deliberate while retaining the band’s signature weight. “We wanted to contrast the album with something a bit more driving, while adhering to the overall weight of the rest of the tracks and to be strong against vile oppression,” explains the band.

Lyrically, the single distils a mantra of resilience: “When the clouds come to cover, let the light shine through.” “The message is simple but powerful,” they add. “It’s about strength in the face of adversity and oppression.”

The accompanying video unfolds as a ritual of fire and transformation—an alchemical act of destruction and regeneration. A paper doll serves as the vessel for change, embodying both fragility and intention. “This ritual is a symbolic metaphor for simple things we can do in reality to break fascist necks—like who you give your money to, as a small example, to challenging bigotry as a bigger one,” says the band.

No More Can Be Done is a stark, slow-burning monolith of existential dread, geopolitical despair, environmental decay, and raw emotional weight—yet it carries a glimmer of perseverance in a collapsing world. Since 2017, drummer Caitlin Mkhasibe, bassist Frank Lunar, and guitarist/vocalist/sound artist helo samo have honed their sound from post-rock/noise roots into a heavier, dissonant, and deliberately crushing territory.

“Grief and the depressing state of the world were big inspirations,” says the band. “We wanted to create something that embodies that state and cast a light on things that are often hard to address—while writing music we would want to hear ourselves.”

The album unfolds like a descent into shadow: chaotic noise mutating into industrial rhythms, fragile symphonics, and suffocating dissonance. Vocals delivering simple, spectral mantras designed to resonate through repetition.

Follow P+A+G+E+S

Instagram | YouTube

Thanks to Plug Music Agency for the details.